The Hungarian Air Force welcomed the first KC-390 Millennium medium military transport aircraft from the Brazilian company Embraer at a ceremony at the Kecskemét airbase in Hungary on September 5, 2024. This is the first of two aircraft ordered under a 2020 contract. The aircraft, with the Hungarian tail number “610” (serial number 39000014) and still bearing the Brazilian registration PT-ZHP, made its flight from Brazil and joined the 101st Air Brigade of the Hungarian Air Force, based at the Kecskemét airbase. Hungary’s Minister of Defense, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, attended the reception ceremony.
On November 17, 2020, the Hungarian government signed a contract with Embraer to deliver two new KC-390 Millennium medium military transport aircraft for the Hungarian Air Force. Officially known as the KC-390 in Hungary, each aircraft boasts a single Cobham 912E hose-and-drogue refueling pod.
With this acquisition, Hungary became the second international customer to order the Embraer C-390, following Portugal, which signed a contract in July 2019 for five aircraft. Hungary has now also become the second international recipient of the KC-390, as Portugal has already received two aircraft (serial numbers 39000011 and 39000015, though only the first has been inducted into the Portuguese Air Force).
Embraer began developing the C-390 (KC-390) transport and refueling aircraft in 2006 as a ramp-equipped, aiming to replace the C-130 Hercules. Powered by two International Aero Engines V2500-E5 turbofan engines, the C-390 has a maximum takeoff weight of 81 tons. It is designed to transport up to 23 tons of cargo in its 17.75-meter-long cargo hold, as well as perform refueling missions (with a maximum fuel capacity of 37.4 tons). Boeing previously assisted in the C-390 project.
The Brazilian Air Force built three prototype C-390s, and their first flights took place in 2015, 2016, and 2018. Under agreements made in 2010 and 2014, the Brazilian Air Force initially ordered a total of 28 C-390s, but in 2021, financial constraints reduced this number to 19, with six deliveries to date. On October 9, 2018, the Brazilian Air Force’s first production aircraft (serial number 39000004) made its first flight and was officially handed over to the customer on September 4, 2019.
Along with Portugal and Hungary, South Korea signed a contract for three C-390 aircraft in 2023, and the Netherlands and Austria signed a joint contract in July 2024 for five aircraft for the Dutch Air Force and four for the Austrian Air Force. The Czech Republic has also signed a preliminary agreement to purchase two C-390s.
